


camelot

by brandywine421



Series: Unfinished AUs of Flail (aka fail) [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Merlin (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 05:45:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5405261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Yeah, about that.  You remember about the magic, right?" Merlin asked, shifting uneasily.</p>
<p>Steve rolled his eyes this time and the other man snorted.  "Seems a lot of people know about the magic."</p>
<p>"This is Arthur.  King Arthur.  He's pretty pissed at me right now but I don't have time to deal with it.  I have something huge and world-fucking to deal with in another dimension and I can't take him with me.  Can you just - catch him up and watch him until I get back?  Please, I don't trust anyone else with him, Cap."</p>
<p>Steve blinked at him.  He'd known Merlin pretty well, his squad had backed up the Commandos enough times for him to trust him with his and his men's lives - but this was a little much.  He'd never put much thought into his 'magic' or his stories, but this was - well, it was a little much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Part of a collection of abandoned, but not unloved, fics I will never finish.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	camelot

Steve opened the door and blinked at the two dripping wet men standing in the hallway.  It wasn't until he met the skinny, gangly looking one's eyes that he recognized him.  "Merlin?"  
  
"Steve, thank God it's really you.  I need your help, can we come in?"  
  
"Um.  Sure.  Were you followed?" Steve asked, peeking past them into the hallway once they were inside.  
  
Merlin rolled his familiar blue eyes.  "Surely it hasn't been that long since we saw each other."  
  
"What, seventy years or so?  I watched you die, Merlin, what are you doing here?"  Steve turned to the other man who he didn't know.  
  
"Yeah, about that.  You remember about the magic, right?" Merlin asked, shifting uneasily.  
  
Steve rolled his eyes this time and the other man snorted.  "Seems a lot of people know about the magic."  
  
"This is Arthur.  King Arthur.  He's pretty pissed at me right now but I don't have time to deal with it.  I have something huge and world-fucking to deal with in another dimension and I can't take him with me.  Can you just - catch him up and watch him until I get back?  Please, I don't trust anyone else with him, Cap."  
  
Steve blinked at him.  He'd known Merlin pretty well, his squad had backed up the Commandos enough times for him to trust him with his and his men's lives - but this was a little much.  He'd never put much thought into his 'magic' or his stories, but this was - well, it was a little much.  
  
"Please," Merlin said, grabbing his wrist.  "You know it's serious if I'm willing to let him out of my sight - I've been looking for him for centuries, Cap - but I have to deal with this megalomaniac in a parallel - "  
  
Steve held up his hand.  "You will tell me absolutely everything when you get back.  Everything, yeah?"  
  
Merlin nodded and pulled him into a hug.  "I'll be back before you can come up with a theory, I promise."  He turned to Arthur and the man pointedly looked away.  "Shit.  I'll be back."  
  
There was a puff of smoke and Merlin disappeared.  
  
He sighed and turned to Arthur.  "I'm Steve Rogers, I'm sorry for being rude, but I wasn't expecting company.  Especially not a dead man from the 40's."  
  
Arthur blinked at him.  "I am very confused."  
  
Steve knew how it felt to wake up in a new world, but he did the math in his head and - damn - this had to be much worse for someone waking up 1500 years later instead of only 70.  "Okay.  How long have you been awake?"  
  
"It's night, but it's as bright as day so I can't see the position of the moon," Arthur replied.  "Yesterday, I died in the field of Camlaan and found out my most trusted advisor was a sorcerer.  I came to with Merlin crouched over me as he was when I died in strange clothes with a metal carriage that is propelled by some kind of sorcery he calls 'science'.  Where are your lanterns?  Why is there warmth with no fire - what is this place?"  
  
Okay.  "That's a start.  Have a seat and I'll see if I can find some visual aids."  
  
               ***  **  ***  
  
Arthur wasn't a stupid man.  
  
But he never thought of himself as creative - especially not enough to come up with a world like this.  
  
Steven insisted that magic wasn't real, that it was a farce in this 'century'.  He'd missed a millennia and a half according to the stranger.  
  
The air tasted different.  The chair was made out of material, plastic or something, that didn't exist in his world.  There was a water spout in the kitchen and ovens and lighting without fire; it was sorcery even if they called it science now.  
  
"Okay.  So I'm not completely like you, but I do understand a little more than anyone else will," Steven said with a tired sigh.  "But I died fighting for my country, too.  Everyone I knew was dead when I woke up.  Everything had changed.  I mean, we had TV and running water and all that - but it might as well be another planet."  
  
"I didn't know there were 'planets' at all," Arthur replied.  Planets in the sky, not just stars.  "How did you catch up?  What made you believe this was real?"  
  
"It takes longer than you think it will.  I still wake up not knowing where I am.  I freeze up sometimes because I don't understand.  I had a good teacher, even if I don't fully understand him either.  He could help, but I think he'll probably scare you even more," Steven said.  
  
He frowned.  "I don't scare that easily.  Take me to him, is he a warlock or - "  
  
"He's a computer."  Steven hesitated at his blank look.  "He's not a real person or a magician or a monster.  He's a...resource.  Like a...sentient archive of information.  He has pictures, articles, video - he did a timeilne for me starting with things I recognized and how they became what they are now.  Since he's not a person, he doesn't have any ulterior motive."  
  
Arthur didn't understand but he had to adapt.  He didn't have an exit plan and he needed to learn as much as he could about this place if he was every going to find his way home.  If he had a home to return to.  
  
"You have time," Steve said quietly.  
  
"Perhaps," he replied.  
  
Steven squeezed his shoulder.  "I'm going to heat up something to eat while you absorb things.  Food's going to taste differently so you should probably take it slow."  
  
"I remember how to use the chamber pot.  Relieve myself and hit the lever to empty," Arthur replied.  It was a remarkable invention.  "But I am quite hungry.  Show me."  Food was important and he hadn't seen anywhere to hunt or any farms on his short trip to Steven's.  
  
Steven smiled.  "Sure."  
  
"I had tasters to ensure I wasn't being poisoned.  Why will it taste different?  Do you have different livestock or prey in 'Americas'?"  
  
"Uh.  Yeah.  Remember the refrigerator?" Steven motioned to the white larder and waited for him to nod.  "Okay.  This keeps food from spoiling.  We get everything from the store, the market, not many people hunt for their food anymore.  There are tests and additives for all meat to keep people from getting sick.  I think people in your time got sick a lot from animals that had diseases you didn't know about.  Parasites and things like that.  So it's all regulated.  If you're worried about being poisoned now, make sure the packages are sealed before you cook them."  
  
"In the 'plastic' sheaths," Arthur said.  He appreciated the careful explanations from the man but he only had more questions.  He had never seen this 'plastic' growing in Camelot or sold in the exotic markets.  
  
"Yes," Steven smiled encouragingly.  "The top part is the freezer, for food you want to cook and eat later, it stays safe longer but you have to thaw it first.  I have to eat a lot because of my condition so I have some steak already defrosted.  Eggs, you guys had eggs right?"  
  
"Chickens are a staple in our kitchens.  Quail, rabbits, venison," Arthur replied.  
  
"Oh.  Those things are considered gourmet.  Expensive, at least here.  I haven't been to England since the war."  
  
War.  How many wars had Camelot suffered with his death?  Who had protected them?  
  
"It's a lot, but dinner, yeah?" Steven said after a beat.  "Bread."  
  
Arthur knew about bread and nodded.  
  
Steven put a loaf of bread wrapped in the plastic covering and opened the knot closing it off.  It was already sliced in neat squares.  "It is prepared already sliced?"  
  
Steven smiled.  "Neat, right?  Saves a lot of time.  People are much lazier now.  Instead of using the oven, we can put the bread in a toaster."  He dropped two slices into a shiny metal box and pushed a lever down.  A red dot appeared at the bottom.  Arthur held his hand over the slots as the inside turned red.  
  
"Coal?  I see no fire or embers," Arthur asked.  
  
"Electricity."  
  
He nodded.  "They've harnessed the power of lightning."  He remembered that lesson.  
  
"You're doing really well.  Ask as many questions as you need.  When I woke up, I held back because I felt stupid not knowing how things worked and I didn't want to look stupid to the people assigned to help me."  Steven scanned him with his eyes.  "Since you were a king, you probably know the importance of acting like you have control of the situation when you're completely blindsided."  
  
He jumped when the bread popped up from the box, browned and fragrant.  "I can adapt.  You are right, I have to understand the small things before I attempt more."  
  
"Toast," Steven said, holding out a dish.  "There's butter and jam in the refrigerator."  
  
At least some things were familiar.  
  
               ***  **  ***  
  
Steve picked up his phone, Arthur's eyes following his movement.  He dialed the direct number to JARVIS that Tony had given him for education purposes after their first civil interaction after their introduction.  "JARVIS, Private Shame Protocol, please."  
  
Arthur frowned as he put the phone, on speaker, onto the table between them.  Arthur jolted with surprise when JARVIS answered.  "Of course, Captain.  How may I assist you this evening?"  
  
"I'm with my friend, Arthur.  He's a little lost, time-wise.  Can you help me catch him up on, maybe, 1500 years of history and technology?"  
  
"I am compiling pertinent historical data.  How should I address your curious guest?" JARVIS replied after a flash of blue light scanned Arthur's startled face.  
  
"Not magic, Arthur.  He's just making sure he can recognize you and know when you're speaking.  And that you're completely safe and non-threatening, right, JARVIS?"  
  
"Noted, Captain."  
  
Arthur hesitated before squaring his shoulders.  "I am King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot."  
  
The box was silent a moment.  "Also noted.  Shall I address you as 'sire' or - "  
  
"Allegedly I am no longer a king," Arthur muttered.  "You may call me Arthur."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
Steve recaptured Arthur's attention.  "What's the last thing you remember?  What year was it?"  
  
"Captain, if you will turn your phone over, I shall be able to display holographic visual aids," JARVIS said.  Steve followed instructions and the image of a dilapidated castle filled the area above the phone.  
  
"It's not real, it's a picture projected from the phone," Steve said.  
  
"Think of it as like a candle being placed behind a screen as in a shadowbox," JARVIS said.  Arthur relaxed, a tic at least.  
  
Arthur studied the image.  "I need more reference points to recognize the area."  
  
The image shifted to an aerial view and zoomed out to show rivers and green forests.  
  
"That's...Tintagel.  How - okay.  Okay, no magic, science.  I'm adaptable," Arthur murmured after a moment.  "Considering the decay and overgrowth, that...picture is from many years after I knew it."  
  
The image was replaced with an old, very old, map with a red 'x' where the castle would have been.  JARVIS began speaking in his even tone and expanded the map to show the geography and expansion of Arthur's known world and the man's eyes were bright with slow comprehension.  Steve allowed himself to relax as Arthur slowly began to question JARVIS.  The computer had been a godsend for him and he hoped Arthur could get over his fear of magic to learn from him, or at least start believing this was real.  
  
               ***  **  ***  
  
Arthur managed to sleep a few hours in the outrageously plush bed alongside Steven's room.  With the windows closed and the soft hiss of the heating; he could barely hear the wrongness of the automobiles and noises outside this safe place.  
  
He knew more of this 'science' and the evolution of humanity after his death with the faceless oracle's help but it only solidified the fact that he didn't have a way home without Merlin.  
  
There may not be a way home.  
  
The soft knock on the open door startled him from his thoughts and Steven smiled kindly at him.  Steven seemed to be an honorable man and Arthur trusted him.  Merlin trusted him.  
  
"Breakfast is on the way, and some clothes in your size.  Do you want to try the shower or the bath again?"  
  
Arthur considered it.  "Will you explain the soaps and levers again?"  
  
Steven nodded.  "Of course.  We'll stick with a bath for familiarity sake."  
  
He liked that he could control the temperature without the delay of heating water and the washcloths were soft.  The soaps and 'shampoo' had a chemical scent but it was pleasing once he got used to it.  It was disgusting to see the dirty swirls of water going down the drain and he made a mental note to bathe more often if he was carrying that much grime.  
  
Shaving would have to wait until he could consult the archivist.  
  
He pulled on the soft pants and shirt, pausing to appreciate the texture against his skin before following his nose to the kitchen.  
  
"I am grateful for your hospitality, Steven," he said honestly when he saw the plate of ham and pastry waiting.  "You do not seem like a servant, but you are an impeccable host."  
  
"Huh.  You're welcome?  But it's nothing more than I do for myself.  Merlin's a friend, I think, and I'm always willing to help a friend.  Speaking of, another friend of mine is coming by today.  JARVIS checked and said that he was around in your time.  Some of your enemies worshipped him, it's complicated, but he was not involved in, um, pillaging your villages or anything."  
  
"Who is he?" Arthur asked after a moment of worry.  Maybe he shouldn't trust Steven if he was bringing enemies to his meal.  
  
"He's Thor, of Asgard," Steven replied.  
  
Arthur let out a breath.  "I have knowledge of Asgard, it is a foreign kingdom.  My father rejected them as allies before my birth because of their support of sorcery.  I hosted a feast several months ago to reopen trade and relations with their lands."  No, not several months ago.  Centuries.  
  
"Oh.  Good, then," Steven smiled.  "Thor was coming to visit already, it's a lucky break that you're here today.  JARVIS ordered some stuff for you and Thor's bringing it."  
  
"What orders?  How could he get deliveries so quickly?" Arthur asked, using the unusual but very functional fork to taste the eggs.  
  
"These days you can use a computer, or a phone, to order anything you want - that you can afford, I should say.  Transactions are done with a click or a call.    It's hard to believe that JARVIS isn't a real person, but he was studying you while teaching.  Your questions, your mannerisms, your language patterns - he used all that to make educated guesses on what to order for you."  Steven glanced away.  "I needed a lot of help when I got here and I could barely go outside without freaking out.  He has a stash of money just for circumstances like this, that my friends can't see."  
  
"Has there been any word from Merlin?" Arthur asked after he'd finished all the eggs and turned his fork's attention to the meat.  
  
Steven hesitated.  "No.  But I didn't even know he was still around until yesterday.  I don't get the whole 'interdimensional travel' stuff, but Thor may know more.  How are you doing today?"  
  
"I haven't decided yet," Arthur replied.  
  
"Fair enough." Steven smiled.  
  
Despite the unusual flavors and aftertastes with the food, he quite enjoyed the 'pancakes' and chocolate milk.  
  
The pounding on the door sent his hand to where his sword would hang but he had neglected to get his gear after his bath.  
  
"It's just Thor, let me brief him first," Steven said, leaving him in the kitchen to wait impatiently.  


**Author's Note:**

> I ♥ this story and I'm totes sad I could never get the momentum rolling to make it work.


End file.
